When the Roses Call
by ImMyOwnDefender
Summary: All Lilith wanted was a normal getaway but got a lot more than she bargained for...


_**When the Roses Call: Preface**_

_All the lights simultaneously went out, Lilith slowly tiptoed down the hallway, wondering to herself where everybody was, and why all the lights were off. Was it a power outage? Frowning to herself she silently continued her trek, hoping to run into someone. So far all of the guests she knew were at the dining room; Genesis Rhapsodos, Sephiroth, Raziya, Tifa, Yuffie Kisaragi, Cloud, Zack, Rinoa, Squall, Lightning, Snow Villiers, Vanille, Serah, Kadaj, Marlene, Denzel, Hope, Loz, Selphie, Zell, Quistis, Regina Yuna, Tidus, Paine, and Rikku. The only ones who were missing were, Seifer Almasy, Laguna Loire, Rosso, Shelke, Irvine Vincent Valentine, and Weiss. Where had the others gone? _

_Lilith tried one of the doors, one after the other, they were either locked or no one was in them. She got to one door, the number on it was 36, this was Mr. Loire's room, if Lilith had remembered correctly. Softly and gently she knocked on it, "Mr. Laguna," Lilith said and waited for an answer. There was none. Again she knocked and called out the name, only a bit louder this time thinking that he must not have heard her, "Mr. Laguna." She waited, again there was no answer. Sighing, and wishing she had a bit more patience, Lilith tried the door knob, and jiggled it. To her surprise it was unlocked, and Lilith that it was impolite to walk in uninvited, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong, so ignoring her manners she slowly stepped inside, "Excuse me, Mr. Laguna," she said cautiously. The room was dark, and Lilith couldn't see a thing. Slower than before she carefully took a few steps further into the room; it was eerily quiet, the only sound Lilith could hear was her own light breathing. "Mr. Laguna, are you here," Lilith asked, looking around the room, "I'm looking for some matches or candles do you have any?" She walked around and let her hand touch the walls, feeling around for a light switch, until finally she found one. Flicking it repeatedly, it wouldn't turn on; once again she continued on her exploration through the room. Spotting a chair she strode to it slowly, she could see someone sitting in the chair, and was relieved to see that it was Laguna Loire. "Mr. Laguna," she said a bit more comfortably, but frowned when she didn't get a response. Lightly she touched the chair, "Mr. Laguna, are you alright?" Lilith's frown deepened when she was once again met by silence, sighing to herself, she felt around the surface of the desk and drawers, and finally felt some candles, while her other hand felt a box of matches near. Opening the matchbox, an pulling out a match, she lit it then slowly lit the candle, then raised it to the chair where Laguna Loire was seated. "Mr. Laguna," she whispered, moving around the chair to stand in front of him and face him. The minute she did, her nose was assaulted by a highly unpleasant smell, a coppery, metallic, rust-like smell, mixed with the smell of decay. Lilith wrinkled her nose at the stench, and immediately felt that something was wrong; he did not answer her at the door, he did not answer her when she called out to him, and then there was the smell, something was very wrong. Swallowing the ball that she felt forming in her throat, Lilith slowly and cautiously lifted the candle to the face of the man sitting like a statue in the chair. His eyes were blank, lifeless, and dull, they were staring directly at her. Empty. That was the only word she could think of to describe him. "Mr. Laguna," she tried again. Was he really asleep? His eyes were open; that didn't explain anything at all though, he could've slept with his eyes open, Lilith knew that could be possible. There was something wrong about the way they were open; they looked completely glassy. Suddenly before Lilith could even register what was happening, the lights had come back on, and Lilith had come face to face with a bleeding, dead Laguna Loire. Her eyes widened in disbelief, at what she saw. Laguna Loire was dead! No, not dead. Even far worse, and the realization alone, made Lilith sick to her stomach. Laguna was killed. But by who? It took Lilith only a second to register what had just happened, and only half a second for the long horrific spring to spill out of her mouth, "AAAAHHHH!" Tears spilled down her cheeks, rolling and cascading, falling nonstop, she couldn't believe that someone like Mr. Loire was killed. Who could have done this?_

_ "Lilith! What is it," someone was shouting to her, she couldn't hear who it was, she was too absorbed with the fact that Mr. Laguna was dead. She shook her head back and forth frantically, her mouth opening and closing, forming words, Lilith was certain she was saying something she just couldn't figure out what they were, but she kept on repeating them over and over again, so they were all the same, "No, no no, no, no, no." To anyone, she would have probably looked raving mad, but right now she didn't care anymore, Laguna Loire had been murdered, the murderer was in here, he was in the room, with Mr. Laguna, he killed him! Her trembling head, shakily and slowly glanced down at the floor, there was a puddle of blood gathered around the chair, there was blood smeared around Mr. Laguna's clothes, he was stabbed from what Lilith's now irrational mind could figure out. Something caught her attention, a bloodied footprint, then another, and another, and another. There was a trail of them, someone was here before her, most likely the killer, he had been standing right where she had collapsed onto her knees. Her eyes followed the bloody tracks, they led to the open window, which explained the draft she had felt on her back earlier. But there was no time for that right now, Mr. Laguna was murdered, and the murderer was probably still nearby, he could even be watching her at this very moment through the open window. Lilith was in tears now, weeping desperately like a child, for a moment she lost all touch with reality, she did not even realize that another scream had just tumbled out of her mouth, "NOOOOOOOOO!" She was shaking everywhere, until suddenly a pair of arms grabbed her, pulling her to the owner of such muscular arms, and that was when Lilith lost it, that she let out another terrifying shriek, she must've looked like a wild banshee right now, but that didn't matter, this could have been the killer coming to kill her, too. The arms pulled her, and Lilith let out a series of screams that as she scratched, struggled and fought against the arms, "No! No! No, no, no, no, no! No! Let me go, let me go, let me go, let me go! NOO!" Lilith was now a crying mess, as she continued to fight and kick and scream. The person grunted, and yelled loudly, "Lilith, stop, calm down it's just me, Lilith!" That didn't stop her from fighting, until abruptly, the arms grabbed her shoulders, then whirled her around to face her so-called attacker, she was still kicking and punching. A pair of strong hands gripped her wrists, to prevent her from fighting any further, and Lilith now came face to face with a pair of startling electric, blue eyes, and light auburn, brown, cinnamon red gold hair. Lilith cried, now softly, she was still in hysterics; her whole body shook, she was sputtering nonsense, and hiccuping. Whoever was holding her still, was looking down at her in concern, she was forced to look into those eyes. "Lilith," a firm deep masculine voice, broke her out of her hysteria, "It's me relax," Lilith blinked a few times, and looked over the man over and once more just to be sure, "Genesis," she whispered shrilly. The red head nodded, in confirmation. Lilith began to cry again, uncontrollably, "G-Genesis," she shook again, then pointed with a trembling finger back to the body, "Genesis, h-he's, L-Laguna is,...he's...Oh god," she cried, not even able to string a sentence together, she broke down into sobs, Genesis held her, and quietly smoothed his hand across her back, to comfort her, and calm her down. Lilith could hear other footsteps rushing into the room, but didn't care, her mind was too exhausted, that she couldn't fight the overwhelming desire to let her mind drift into slumber, so she gave in, hoping in the morning that this would all be some sort of horrible dream...that Mr. Laguna was alive and alright, that there was no killer,...that everything was as it should be..._


End file.
